Retaining net to be mounted on surfaces in the cockpit and/or trunk of motor vehicles

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a retaining net to be mounted on surfaces in the passenger compartment and/or trunk of motor vehicles. The inventive retaining net is provided with a net Fart, two plastic rails ( 3 ) which are disposed at opposite ends of the net part, and two elastic ties that are disposed at the other two opposite ends of the net part and are mounted on the two plastic rails ( 3 ). In order to facilitate the manufacturing and mounting of said retaining net, the two plastic rails ( 3 ) are provided with one recess ( 10 ) for each end mesh at the end of the net part assigned thereto. The net strings embodying the external angle of the end mesh arc inserted into the recesses ( 10 ) which are placed at an equal distance next to or underneath each other in the plastic rails ( 3 ). A wire is disposed on the inside ( 16 ) of each plastic rail ( 3 ), opposite the net part ( 2 ). Said wire stretches along the recesses ( 10 ) disposed in the plastic rail ( 3 ) and extends through the external angles of the end meshes of the net part.

The present invention relates to a retaining net to be mounted onsurfaces in the passenger compartment and/or trunk of a motor vehicle;this retaining net comprises a net part, two plastic rails that aredisposed at opposite ends of the net part, and two elastic tensionelements that are disposed at the other two opposite ends of the netpart and are each mounted on the two plastic rails.

During recent decades, retaining nets of this kind have become ever moredesirable items of standard equipment for motor vehicles. They are usedat many different locations within the passenger compartments and/ortrunks of motor vehicles to hold the most varied objects.

It is the objective of the present invention to so develop a retainingnet of the aforesaid type, which is to be attached to surfaces withinthe passenger compartment and/or trunk of a motor vehicle, that it canbe manufactured and installed for a very small technical and structuraloutlay.

According to the present invention, this task has been solved in thatthe two plastic rails of the retaining net incorporate a recess for eachedge mesh on the edge of the retaining net that is associated with it,and into which the net strings that form the outer corner of the edgemesh can be introduced; in that the recesses in the plastic rails aredisposed at equal distances adjacent to or beneath each other; and inthat a wire is disposed on the inner side of each plastic rail that isremote from the net part; this wire extends along the recesses in theplastic rail and passes through the outer corners of the edge meshes ofthe net part. This provides an easily formed possibility for fixing theedges of the net part in the plastic rails which, in their turn, can beattached to any installation surface within the passenger compartmentand/or trunk of the motor vehicle for a very small outlay. However, lesscostly and simple attachment of the net part to the plastic rails, whichholds the net part of the retaining net in an exact position, is madepossible by the combined function of the wire and the appropriatelyshaped plastic rail.

In order to fix the wire in relation to the plastic rail, it is helpfulif retaining clips be arranged on the inner side of the plastic rails,by means of which the wire that fixes the outer corners of the edgemeshes on the inner side of the plastic rail can itself be fixed inposition. The retaining clips are best disposed between the recessesthat accommodate the outer corners of the edge meshes.

It is advantageous that each plastic rail be formed in one piece and beof a U-cross section, the recesses that are formed in the plastic railbeing positioned at the approximate mid-point in the bottom of theU-cross section of the plastic rail. The superficial extent of the netpart can thus be oriented so as to be both parallel to the bottom of theplastic rail as well as perpendicular to the bottom of the plastic rail.

In order to join the two elastic tension elements, by which the twoother opposite edges of the net part are formed, to the plastic rail fora relatively small technical and structural outlay, it is appropriatethat the two plastic rails incorporate above the uppermost recess andbelow the lowermost recess an opening through which the end of thetension element that is associated with the corresponding end of theplastic rail protrudes into the interior space of the plastic rail thatis formed by the U-cross section, each end of each of the tensionelements being provided with a retaining head, the diameter of which isgreater than that of the opening, so that the ends of the elastictension elements are fixed within the plastic rails in a durable andreliable manner.

The wire can be reliably prevented from slipping out of, in particular,the outer corner of the uppermost or lowest edge mesh of the net part ifthe arrangement of the two openings in a plastic rail and the length ofthe wire associated with the plastic rail are so selected that the wirecan be fixed longitudinally by the retaining heads in the area of theplastic rail that has the openings.

It is, of course, possible that at least one of the two plastic rails isa component part of a plastic profile part of, for example, a seatprofile, backrest profile, bulkhead profile, door profile, or the like.Both plastic rails can also be realized in one of the aforementionedprofiles.

In order to be able to arrange a closed net at any height, it is usefulif one edge of the retaining net that is formed by one of the elastictension elements be configured so as to be attachable to an installationsurface.

The present invention is described in greater detail below on the basisof an embodiment shown in the drawings appended hereto. These drawingsshow the following:

FIG. 1: A rear view of one embodiment of a retaining net according tothe present invention;

FIG. 2: A rear view of a plastic rail of the retaining net according tothe present invention as shown in FIG. 1.

The retaining net 1 according to the present invention, which is shownin FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 and described in greater detail below, is intendedfor installation in the interiors or trunks of motor vehicles, where itserves to hold or anchor objects of any kind.

In the embodiment as shown, the retaining net 1 has a net part 2, whichis four-sided, a plastic rail 3, 4 being disposed on the two oppositeedges of the net part 2, which extend vertically in FIG. 1.

The two plastic rails 3, 4 correspond to each other with respect tofunction and configuration, so that in the following, to the extent thatdetails of the plastic rails 3, 4 are discussed, reference is made onlyto the plastic rail 3, a rear view of which is shown in FIG. 2.

An elastic tension element 5, 6 stretches between the two upper ends ofthe plastic rails 3, 4 respectively, and these form the upper or loweredge of the net part 2 of the retaining net 1. The ends of the twoelastic tension elements 5, 6 are attached in a manner that is describedbelow to the ends of the plastic rails 3, 4 that are associated withthem.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, the two plastic rails 3, 4 are each ofU-shaped cross section consisting of a base 7 and two sides 8, 9.

There are slot-like recesses 10 in the base 7 of the plastic rail 3.These slot-like recesses are aligned with each other along a verticalmiddle line 11 of the base 7 of the plastic rail 3.

Two net strings 13, 14 that form an outside corner of an edge mesh 12 ofthe net part 2 pass through each of these recesses 10 into the interiorspace formed in the plastic rail 3 by the base 7 and the sides 8, 9.

A wire 15, shown in FIG. 1, passes through the outside corners of theedge mesh 12 of the net part 2 that are formed by the net strings 13, 14and protrude into the interior space of the plastic rail 3; this wire 15extends across the whole area of the vertical middle line 11 of theplastic rail 3, along which the recesses 10 that accommodate the netstrings 13, 14 are arranged.

Snap-type retaining clips 17 are provided in order to fix the wire 15 tothe inner side of the base 7 of the plastic rail, and these are formedbetween two recesses 10 on the inner side 16 of the plastic rails 3, onthe vertical middle line 11 of its base 7.

Openings 18 are formed in the end sections of the plastic rails 3, 4,above the uppermost recess 10 or beneath the lowest recess 10, so as tofix the ends of the two elastic tension elements 5, 6. The ends of theelastic tension elements 5, 6 protrude through these openings 18 intothe interior space that is formed by the base 7 and the sides 8, 9 ofthe plastic rail 3. The ends of the elastic tension elements 5, 6 aresecured by retaining heads 19 that form the ends of the elastic tensionelements 5, 6 and are of a greater diameter than that of the openings18.

In the embodiment shown, the openings 18 and, as a result of this, theretaining heads 19 are arranged immediately beneath or above theretaining clips 17 that serve to hold the wire 15, on the verticalmiddle line 11 of the base 7 of the plastic rail 3. This prevents thewire 15 slipping out of place in the vertical direction to the pointthat it no longer reaches through the outer corner of an edge mesh 12 ofthe net part 2.

The plastic rails 3, 4 have clip connectors 20, by means of which theycan be attached to the intended installation surface.

In certain locations in which the retaining net 1 is used, it can beuseful if the lower elastic tension element 6 is so configured that itcan be attached to the installation surface in a suitable manner so thata retaining net 1 that is closed at the bottom will result.

1. Retaining net for installation on surfaces within the interiorsand/or the trunks of motor vehicles, with a net part (2), two edgeretainers (3, 4) that are disposed on opposite edges of the net part (2)and which incorporate a recess (10) for each edge mesh (12) on the edgeof the net part (2) that is associated with them, into which recesses(10) the two net strings (13, 14) that form the outer corner of the edgemesh (12) can be inserted and which are disposed so as to be spacedapart at equal distances adjacent to or beneath one another; and with anelastic tension element (5) that is disposed on a first other edge ofthe net part (2) and attached to both edge retainers (3, 4); and with awire (15) that is disposed on the inner side (16) of each edge retainer(3, 4) that is remote from the net part (2), which extends along therecesses (10) that are formed in the edge retainer (3, 4) and passesthrough the outer corners of the edge meshes (12) of the net part (2),characterized in that the two edge retainers are one-piece plastic rails(3, 4) that are of approximate U-cross section; and in that a secondelastic tension element (6) is attached on the second, other edge of thenet part and secured to the plastic rails (3, 4).
 2. Retaining net asdefined in claim 1, in which retaining clips (17) are formed on theinner side (16) of the plastic rail (3, 4), by means of which the wire(15) that fixes the outer corners of the edge meshes (12) on to theinner side (16) of the plastic rails (3, 4) can itself be fixed inposition.
 3. Retaining net as defined in claim 1, in which each plasticrail (3, 4) is formed in one piece and is of approximate U-crosssection, the recesses (10) that are formed in the plastic rail (3, 4)being disposed approximately at the middle of the base (7) of theU-cross section of the plastic rail (3, 4).
 4. Retaining net as definedin claim 1, in which in each of the two plastic rails (3, 4), above theuppermost and below the lowest recess (10), there is in each instance anopening (18) through which the end of the particular tension element (5,6) that is associated with the corresponding end section of the plasticrail (3, 4) protrudes into the interior space of the plastic rail (3, 4)that is formed by the U-cross section, each end of each tension element(5, 6) being fitted in the interior space of the plastic rail (3, 4)with a retaining head (19), the diameter of which is greater than theopening (18).
 5. Retaining net as defined in claim 4, in which thearrangement of the two openings (18) in a plastic rail (3, 4) and thelength of the wire associated with the plastic rail (3, 4) are such thatthe wire (15) can be fixed longitudinally by the retaining heads (19)associated with the two openings (18) in the area of the plastic rail(3, 4) that incorporates the recesses (10).
 6. Retaining net as definedclaim 1, in which at least one of the plastic rails (3, 4) is acomponent part of a plastic profile component of a motor vehicle, e.g.,a seat profile, seat-back profile, bulkhead profile, door profile, orthe like.
 7. Retaining net as defined in claim 1, in which an edge ofthe retaining net (1) that is formed by one of the elastic tensionelements (5, 6) is configured so as to be attachable to an installationsurface.